Saturday, January 9, 2016

I have been working constantly on new pieces since my last update and I'm finally going to post a few! I'm mostly working on some beautiful mahogany boards I bought several years ago, but am continuing with my "cardboard quilts" and of course the "found" wood I've used for years. These pieces are painted using mostly Old Village paint, pigments matched to antique New England homes, although I mix hues together as well. In addition I'm using permanent markers and paint pens, and all of them are finished with several coats of protective polyurethane so they won't ever fade or peel.

More art news since my last post: I was accepted into the prestigious and juried Guilford Art League fall show this past September, always a great pleasure for me! Also, I'm showing in Guilford's newest art gallery, The Bird Nest Gallery & Salon, 25 Water Street, in the 18th century Fitz Greene Halleck House. Please stop by there and tell 'em Casey sent you. : )

Please find me on Facebook. I have a new page just for my art, as well as my personal page and my page for my car renderings. Please look for Art by Casey Shain or click here. Thank you all of my dear readers for continuing to check out casey/artandcolour and I apologize for not updating the site since summer! I wish everyone a very happy new year. How did it ever get to be 2016?!?!?

Friday, July 24, 2015

Isn't this the coolest shot of a Daddy Long Legs through a summer window screen?

Hey Everyone! I have no idea why there are links appearing in my posts and sidebars leading to stupid things, lol. I guess it's a feature of the free Blogspot blogging templates but it's sort of maddening to me! Please don't click on them thinking I'm endorsing whatever they are. They may be perfectly legitimate, but I have nothing to do with them!

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

I am very pleased to announce my newest exhibit. "Gallery Twelve 24 at Framed" in Hamden, Connecticut is showing more than twenty of my paintings right now. The exhibit runs through the end of July and the reception is Thursday evening, June 25th, from 6-8 pm at the gallery.

This is my third consecutive show for 2015. I couldn't be more pleased. There is a nice mix of my early work as well as my newest pieces. This show was hung by my great friend Jane, an incredible artist herself, and I couldn't be happier with the result.

Monday, January 12, 2015

I've got a new exhibit hanging now, a great way to start off 2015! I have twenty seven of my pieces hanging in New Haven at a very cool wine bar named Cave à Vin: A Wine Bar on State Street. They will be hanging through the end of March. This is my first showing since "LocalColour" in 2009 at the Keyes Gallery at the Willoughby Wallace Library in Stony Creek.

As you walk in these pieces are to your right. The recently updated "Hoohoo's Honeymoon Harley" is on the lower right, with the new "Checkerberry No. 3" above it.

A cool seating area in the front of the bar features these leather couches and easy chairs. This informal grouping was selected so seated customers have eye-level pieces to look at.

The rear of the room features a grand piano and Cave à Vin offers live music weekly. The odd angular shape of "Demonseed" lower center, echoes the open grand piano just off to the left of this image. I have a good mix of brand new, never-before-seen pieces and a core group of my earliest ones. "Sunday Morning" is in the very center, and is a newly updated piece using one of my grandmother's 1920 photographs taken at the Indian Point House in Stony Creek.

An accent wall in this rich darker hue really helps these three pieces pop. Making their public debut are, "Sunflowers," center, and "Me, My, Mo," raight. Far right is a mirror with two bottles on it and that is reflected on the wall to its left. It looks like there are two mirrors with bottles! With the naked eye, that reflection was barely visible. The digital camera really picked it up.

The "business end" of Cave à Vin with the wonderful proprietor, Linda, on the right. I thank her so much for giving me the opportunity to show my new work! Buddy James is to the left, always there supporting me, along with his fiancée, Nikki who set up this show for me!

A great photo of my bestie June. We packer her Subaru to the rafters, packed Nikki's Volvo to the rafters and schlepped all the art into New Haven. Here relaxing on the leather sofa later!

Nikki, right, was instrumental in setting this show up for me. Having known her since 1981, and our mothers were friends before that, Nikki has always supported me 200%. Both of these "gals" as my dad would have said, have gone out of their way a million times for me and I thank them immensely!

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Woke up to this slight frosting of snow the other morning. It was gone by noon. Seasons come and go here from my perch at Pink Gardens.

One of my Christmas cactus blooms in front of a ceramic beer stein, a bowling trophy of my Dad's from the year I was born.

My angelwing begonia is going strong, 12 years old now. In the winter the flowers open to a pretty salmon pink as above. In the summer when it's outside it's almost dark red.

This purple tradescanthia is spending the winter rooting in water. Was surprised to see it blooming the other day in this northern-facing kitchen window.

The top of the Victrola today features Prince Albert in a can, a 1963 Falcon sports coupe, a photo of my grandmother as a child with her older sister and brother, and assorted other collectibles.

My geraniums are doing very well this winter in the attic. The plants are losing leaves and getting "leggy" stalks but they'll be fine. In the spring they're cut back and replanted in the containers around the property.

Monday, December 8, 2014

Fluffy white clouds reflected in the very still, and very cold, waters of our local pond in the center of town. Lots going on here, I'll try to update the blog more often when I can! I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving—I'll be back with more photos before Christmas!

Monday, October 27, 2014

I honestly can't believe I just made a delicious loaf of bread! Several weeks ago I bought some bread flour by accident. I tried it for regular flour for pancakes and it didn't work, so it's been sitting in my refrigerator since then. This morning I was getting something out of my food cabinet and a package of yeast fell out. I like to make what's called "Overnight Waffles" and they use yeast but you can't just buy one pack of yeast so that was shoved in the cabinet soon to be lost to my eyes, lol. Well, I looked on the package of King Arthur bread flour and I had all the ingredients. I added dried rosemary, fennel seeds, dill seeds and a course-ground sea-salt, and followed the instructions. It raised three times and I baked it at 375° for 40 minutes, and VOILA! I can't believe it looks as good as it does, and it tastes incredible. I'm very pleased with myself today!

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Flowers on this purple leafed Tradescanthia only last a day, but there are many buds to lengthen their blooming season.

This gorgeous dahlia has only had a few blooms but they've all been stunning.

Yellow lantana has done very well this year.

My favorite blue morning glories are doing very well this late October. We may get a frost tomorrow night which will be their end, so let's hope not!

Even with half in the shade a red rose is still as beautiful.

The purple tradescanthia and yellow lantana look great planted together in the Victorian cast iron pedestal planters. They were spectacular this year with geraniums, vinca, perilla, bright green sweet potato vine, and a few other annuals.

A nice row of glories!

"Banarama," the large yellow variety of dahlia in the garden has been a prolific bloomer.

Deep magenta rose changes to this gorgeous salmon-peach as it opens.

Blue morning glories bring the typical Autumn clear blue sky right down into the garden.

Tiny magenta Tea rose bloom is on its way out but it's still beautiful.